Grilled Mango

28. March, 2009

Mangoes are a quite amazing fruit. They contain phenols, which is a phenolic compound that has powerful antioxidant and anticancer abilities. They are high in iron, vitamin A (beta-carotene), E and Selenium which are important in protecting against heart disease. Mangoes are also valuable to combat acidity and poor digestion and finally they are high in antioxidants. Mangoes are also very versatile and can be enjoyed both warm as well as cold, in smoothies, cakes and more. Mangoes are quite popular in the eastern part of Africa and often in fruit salads you might find mangoes although papayas are quite popular as well. I have also tasted grilled mangoes in Tanzania and this recipe minds me of those. Mangoes are my husband's favourite fruit and he always smiles when eating them which is normally just peeled and cut with a knife straight into his mouth. Mangoes are excellent when you are preparing a dessert for allergy sensitive guests because they are gluten free, nut free, lactose free, egg free of course and vegan. Very few people are allergic to mangoes which is why they are often pureed for infants.

This recipe is:

Egg free

Gluten free

Lactose (dairy) free

Nut free

Vegan

Grilled Mango

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 large, ripe mango destoned and cut in cubes

1 teaspoon agave nectar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

Turn the mango up on the skinny side. The stone is a flat oval, so you will find your mangoes are narrower one way than the other in alignment with the stone. Cut off the "cheeks" of the mango, each side, as close to the stone as possible. If you hit the stone, just swerve around it a little. Now take a cheek, place it skin side into the palm of your hand and slice the meat of the fruit all the way down to the skin, but not through it. Be careful not to go through the skin and into your hand! Now cut it the other way to make a grid. Repeat with other cheek. Now flip the cheek inside out so that the fruit is like a hedgehog. Cut off the cubes. Next peel the skin off the centre piece with the stone. Peel it all the way around and leave no skin on the edge. Carve off any extra fruit off the stone with a small knife. You will actually only use the cheeks so save the rest for later use (you can always freeze the extra mango).

Place the mango cheeks, skin sides down on a baking tray.

Use a basting brush (or a cooking brush) and brush the mango flesh with the 1 teaspoon agave nectar.

Serve with sharp knives and forks and a dollop of either healthy ice cream or your preferred cream (such as oat cream, soy cream or regular cream). You can also use creme fraiche or yoghurt with a little agave nectar mixed into it.

The tops of the mango might turn slightly black, but don't worry this is normal.

Tips

You can use maple syrup instead of the agave nectar.

You can freeze the mango scraped from the stone and use it for a smoothie later.